This luxury hotel near downtown’s Miami Worldcenter just opened its first restaurant
A luxury hotel near one of Miami’s hottest developments is opening its first restaurant.
The Gale Miami Hotel & Residences near Miami Worldcenter is opening Casa Gianna, an Italian restaurant that will serve as a breakfast cafe in the morning and transform into a spot for lunch, dinner and cocktails in the evening.
Designed by the New York-based Laseu Studio, the restaurant encompasses 9,000 square feet, with high ceilings and wood accents with a 360 degree bar that extends into the outdoor patio.
The kitchen will be led by executive chef David Caceres, former executive chef of the Mayfair Grill in Coconut Grove (which is now run by Eating House’s Giorgio Rapicavoli).
Caceres calls the menu at Casa Gianna a “story.”
“Each dish is a blend of traditional Italian flavors with modern flair,” he said. “Every ingredient is chosen with care, and we aim to create a dining experience that not only satisfies the palate but also evokes a sense of nostalgia.”
Expect Italian fare, including everybody’s comfort food, pizza. The menu includes pappardelle alla rosa de ricotta with brown butter sage; crusted pistachio Chilean sea bass with tomato puttanesca and short rib fagottini with a Parmesan sauce and short rib au jus. You’ll also find classics like gnocchi cacio e pepe and lobster risotto.
Caceres expects the pizzas to be a favorite. They’re baked in a wood and stone pizza oven and include the special al funghi e tartufata with black truffle cream, grana padano, oyster mushrooms and shaved black truffles as well as a vegetarian pie with roasted seasonal vegetables, pesto tomato sauce and mozzarella.
The wine list will highlight Italian wines and include signature cocktails like the Sunset in Sicily with amaretto, orange juice and Aperol and the Tuscan Mule with vodka, limoncello, ginger beer and lime. There will also be plenty of negronis and a limoncello spritz ,which should go over well during aperitivo hour.
Casa Gianna joins a slew of restaurants popping up at and around the Worldcenter, the 27-acre mixed-use development across from the Kaseya Center, among them Chef Michael Beltran’s Brasserie Laurel and Sixty Vines, a Texas import with a wide variety of wines on tap. Coming soon are Serafina, an Italian restaurant from New York, Anthony’s Coal-Fired Pizza and Earl’s Kitchen & Bar from Canada. Also scheduled for the development are two rooftop hot spots: the rejuvenated Juvia from Miami Beach and One Tequila Gardens, a tequila and mescal hot spot and Mexican restaurant from singer Nick Jonas and designer John Varvatos.
The 51-story Gale Miami, which opened in June, plans to open a Bodega Taqueria y Tequila early in 2025, along with two more restaurants.
Casa Gianna
Where: 601 NE First Ave., Miami
Hours: 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday; 5-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday
More information: casagianna.com
This story was originally published November 14, 2024 at 4:30 AM.